This study aimed to examine the relationships between plant-based diet adherence, sleep quality and salivary oxidative stress markers in university students.
This descriptive cross-sectional study included 89 healthy female university students aged 18–25 years with a normal body mass index (BMI). Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire to calculate the plant-based diet index (PDI). Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and oxidative stress markers total antioxidant status, total oxidant status and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured from fasting saliva samples.
The principal finding of this study was the absence of significant differences in oxidative stress markers and sleep quality across PDI quartiles. When evaluated according to sleep quality, salivary MDA levels were found to be significantly higher in participants with poor sleep quality (p = 0.007). The correlation analysis revealed that a higher unhealthful PDI was positively associated with poorer sleep quality (r = 0.26; p = 0.013), whereas a higher healthful PDI was inversely correlated with salivary MDA levels (r = −0.21; p = 0.044).
The findings suggest that certain aspects of plant-based dietary patterns and sleep quality may be related to oxidative stress markers in young adults. However, these associations should be interpreted cautiously and require confirmation in larger studies.
This study provides novel preliminary evidence linking a plant-based diet, sleep quality and salivary oxidative stress markers in university students. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine these relationships simultaneously.
